The 2010 TIME 100

Central bankers aren't often young, good-looking and charming, but Mark Carney is all three — not to mention wicked smart. As the head of the Bank of Canada, Carney, 45, had the good fortune of presiding over a banking system that didn't need a single bailout. Now that the world's richest nations are working to coordinate new financial rules, Carney is clamoring to stay focused on the causes of the crisis — like banks not holding enough capital and Western consumers spending too much — instead of getting distracted by populist zeal. The ex–Goldman Sachs banker, who isn't afraid to crack a joke or roll his eyes, has also been warning Canadians not to take on too much personal debt, since levels in the country have been rising — the sort of straight talk one rarely hears from a person whose job it is to juice the economy.

TIME 100 Social-Networking Index: 0